SHAH ALAM, 4 Jun 2009: PAS’s Ulama wing today approved a motion to get the party’s central leadership to ensure that the posts of president, deputy president and at least one vice-president are held by ulama.

However, incoming ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib said at a press conference that it was left to be seen if the main muktamar body would accept the motion, which was originally proposed by the Terengganu ulama.

Harun When asked if he would push the motion through to the main muktamar, Harun said, “I’m not too focused on this motion alone, but on bigger things, such as how to strengthen PAS so that it has more impact in the future.”

The motion was one of four approved by the Ulama wing to be brought to the main muktamar which begins tomorrow.

The remaining motions were on the setting up of maahad tahfidz sains (religious science schools) to cater for students interested in Islam-based education (proposed by Negeri Sembilan); getting Pakatan Rakyat (PR)-ruled states to approve full-paid maternity leave for mothers in the civil service who give birth beyond five children (by Kelantan); and setting up a special bulletin in PR-ruled states to counter Barisan Nasional (BN) propaganda (also by Kelantan).

Kepimpinan ulama defended

The debates and speeches in the wing mainly agreed with outgoing chief Datuk Mohamad Daud Iraqi that PAS needed to defend the leadership of the ulama.

The debates followed three main strands: defining ulama asprofessionals, opposing the sidelining of the ulama within the party, and strategising ways in which ulama could implement Islamic policies in PR-ruled states.

Johor delegate Salahuddin Osman defended the ulama as professionals, and said, “The ulama have studied their field of expertise for decades — are they not professionals in their own right?”

On the issue of ulama being sidelined, Ulama Muslimat decried the sidelining of ulama, and claimed that there were efforts at the grassroots levels by professionals to “usurp” the ulama in the party’s leadership.

On the issue of implementing Islamic laws in PR-ruled states, Saiful Bahri from Terengganu and Mohd Lutfi Ariffin from Kedah said PAS would need to delve into the differences in composition among the PR-led states to determine how best to implement Islamic laws.

New committee elected

On the wing’s elections, only posts in the wing’s central working committee and the post of auditors were contested today, while all others were won uncontested.